Originally Posted by
Eric F
It's hard to argue that Park isn't at the top of the heap for offering the widest range of specialty bike tools. However, there are other companies who are making some of those tools of equal or better quality. For the everyday tools like allen wrenches and screwdrivers, Park's offerings are decent, but not pinnacle.
In North America, Park reigns supreme. But VAR is still a significant bicycle tool source elsewhere. Unior, Cyclus, Eldi, and others also offer specialty tools for the bicycle industry. In my first bike shop job (late 70s), our bicycle-specific tools were mostly Park and VAR, with a smattering of others (Eldi, Campagnolo, Artisan Tool & Die, etc.). Park and VAR had a cross-licensing/distribution agreement going back at least into the 1980s.